• Home
• Healthcare
• News Article

GE strengthens partnerships with Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health to drive sustainable healthcare development

GE Chairman & CEO Jeffrey Immelt highlights company's healthymagination initiative to strengthen access to high quality care at lower costs

With the largest operations in the Middle East across all growth sectors, Saudi Arabia is key market for GE

Focus on 'company to country' approach - to meet the country's requirements through tailored solutions - and strengthening public private partnerships

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; February 8, 2011: GE (NYSE: GE ) has underscored its commitment to strengthen and sustain a robust healthcare delivery model in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through partnerships with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health , under its healthymagination initiative, to create better health for more people by expanding access to quality care at lower costs.

GE 's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt explained the company's healthcare strategies for the Kingdom at a special event organized in Riyadh in the presence of Dr. Mohammed Khosheim, Deputy Minister of Health, Planning & Development.

Dr. Mohammed Khosheim said: "Saudi Arabia is taking comprehensive measures to strengthen its healthcare delivery by leveraging advanced medical technologies and empowering the Saudi health professionals. Our partnership with GE , a global leader in modern healthcare, will further strengthen our efforts in assuring world-class care here in the Kingdom."

Jeffrey Immelt said: "With more than eight decades of presence here, GE remains committed to promoting the socio-economic growth of Saudi Arabia. We are honored to have partnered with the Saudi Ministry of Health to support sustainable healthcare delivery under GE 's healthymagination initiative. The partnership has achieved tangible results in its early stages, gaining positive feedback from the Ministry of Health and the participants."

He added: "In the Kingdom, we follow an integrated approach to boosting the healthcare sector. This includes providing advanced training in healthcare technologies to Saudi professionals, strengthening their leadership skills, and transforming the efficiencies of the hospitals through GE 's advanced technologies."

Nabil Habayeb, GE 's President & CEO for the Middle East and Africa region, explained: "Our commitment to the Saudi Arabian market, across all growth sectors including healthcare, is marked by a focus on building public private partnerships. GE 's investments in the Kingdom are complemented by concerted initiatives to train and develop the skills of the local workforce. This is reflected in GE 's healthcare initiatives in the Kingdom too."

GE 's association with Saudi Arabia fits perfectly with the development dynamics of the country. The company has invested heavily in Saudi Arabia, building local competencies in aviation, healthcare, oil & gas, water and transportation, among others. GE has also stepped in tune with the Kingdom's new growth aspirations, especially in creating jobs for Saudi nationals and driving the economic diversification, through partnerships with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) .

Under the company's healthymagination consumer outreach campaign, GE will use its website www.healthymagination.me and its social networking platforms such as Twitter (http://twitter.com/Li9o7etna) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/healthymagination.me) to raise consumer awareness and provide education around healthier living.

GE has been working closely with the Ministry of Health to help build a sustainable healthcare model under healthymagination with the partnership encompassing a wide range of initiatives, which include a Healthcare Learning Institute, advisory services on hospital workflow and training programs. In order to ensure that hospitals under the Ministry of Health offer the highest technological quality of care, GE Healthcare has trained more than 1,300 MoH healthcare professionals. GE has also helped transform the operation rooms of eight MoH hospitals and six Nation Guard Health Affairs Departments through tools and methodologies that are all aimed to enhance business and management efficiencies. GE Healthcare has also invested in a strategic country service support center in Riyadh that is strongly supported by experienced local service & technical support teams resulting in quicker customer response times, thereby minimizing equipment downtime.

GE has been associated with Saudi Arabia for many decades. With more than 700 employees in the Kingdom, GE has expanded its presence through public-private partnerships and a strong footprint of facilities in service repair support and customer training centers in oil & gas, energy, water, aviation and healthcare, which serve the region.

-Ends-

Join the conversation at our GE Hewar blog: http://middleeast.geblogs.com/

For details on healthymagination, log on to: http://www.healthymagination.com/

About GE:
GE (NYSE: GE ) is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world's toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, health care solutions and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

For more information, please contact:
Caroline Wehbeh
GE Media Relations Manager, Middle East & North Africa
Tel: +9714 4296318
Caroline.wehbeh@ge.com

Kelly Home/ Nivine William
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
Tel: +9714 334 4550
k.home@asdaa.com / n.william@asdaa.com

© Press Release 2011